The Magician Wins!

I still love to read, of course—nothing short of a brain transplant will ever change that. But I don’t read the same way I used to. I’m afraid I no longer read the way “normal” readers do.

First of all, some insecure part of my psyche is always weighing the book I’m reading against the books I write. Deep inside, I’m whining something like, “Rats…I couldn’t ever think of something this clever!” or “Arghghghgh! Why can’t I write like this?”

But every writer I know does that. We learn to tune that annoying little voice right out.

What really worries me is that, because of my years as a writer, I focus on all the wrong things in a book. I am afraid that I’ve forgotten how to just sit back and enjoy the magic.

Here’s what makes me think so: The other night, my daughter and I went to see Agatha Christie’s play, “The Mousetrap.” My son-in-law had a role—he was terrific in the part of silly Mr. Paravicini—and we had a wonderful time.

But on the way home, I began thinking about the plot, and I began saying things like, “Didn’t Christie use too much coincidence, though? Why was she staying in the hotel, in the first place? Why was he there, too? I just can’t buy that much coincidence!”

Was I wrong in my criticism? Maybe not, technically. The play does rely heavily on coincidence, something all writing teachers, editors and contest judges tell us is a huge no-no.

But does that mean the play isn’t well written? Does that mean the play isn’t good? Obviously not! As Agatha Christie’s own site tells us, this is the longest-running play in the world. In the world! Since it opened on the West End in 1952, it has never been out of production.

Clearly something powerful happens when audiences watch this play. They are entranced, and they don’t give a darn about whether Christie followed the so-called writing “rules.”

The same is true, for instance, with J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It’s filled with adverbs, what the writing teachers like to call “LY” words. “LY” words are lazy writing. “LY” words are literary dead weight. “LY” words must be hunted down like zombies and have their heads lopped off.

And yet, all the “LY” dead weight in the world can’t sink a Harry Potter book. I bet most readers don’t even notice them, and if they do, they couldn’t care less.
So, bottom line is…I’m afraid I might have worked so hard to learn the “craft” of my profession that I’ve forgotten how to enjoy the magic of it. No one jumps onto Amazon, eager to post a review that let you know “This book has perfect punctuation!!!!” No one calls up a friend and says, “OMG! This writer hasn’t used a single LY word!!!!”

It’s a lot easier to pick apart a book and see where it might have broken some rules than it is to pinpoint what the author did right. And, in truth, it’s easier to weed out your “LY” words than it is to seed in some enchantment.

What about you? Do Rowling’s “ly” words bother you? What about Christie’s coincidences? Do your bookshelves (or Kindle lists) hold some story that is mocked by snobs but still warms your heart? Have you ever had to defend a beloved book from the naysayers?

I have a feeling that, in a duel between the rule-maker and the magic-maker, the magician wins every time!

5 Responses

Great post, Kathleen! Writing has definitely changed me as a reader. I’m picky now. I cringe at things I would’ve ignored before I started writing. But every once in a while, there’s an author who sucks me in so deeply I could care less if the writing isn’t “perfect.”

And I’m almost embarassed to admit it, but I *like* LY words. There’s a reason they exist. 😀 I think saying someone is “scared” isn’t anywhere near as descriptive as “bone-chillingly scared.” Although, I admit, LYs can be overused. (*waves hand guiltily*)

Great post and oh, so true. I rely on movies a lot more now than books for entertainment. I’ve seen the magician behind the curtain. The Wizard is no longer as magical for me. sigh. One of the casualties of writing. 😦

Jodie, I’m with you! LOL…in both regards. I think “ly” words can add a lot of fun and flavor to a book AND I’m guilty of overusing them myself!

Do you think the things you cringe at how would have affected you subliminally even before you understood why they bothered you? I wonder sometimes whether, before being a writer, I loved the things that mostly followed the rules, though I didn’t understand why I thought those books were “better.” Or did I just enjoy in a blissful ignorance that kept my mind open and receptive?

Nancy, having glimpsed the wizard behind the curtain is kind of a bummer, isn’t it? But it’s pretty exciting when you do find a book that makes you forget and takes you back to that innocent time when you believed!

Can you remember what the last book was that did that for you? I think this who issue may explain why I’ve been buying so many non-fiction books!

You know, I really don’t know, Kathleen. Probably not. I’ve always just plowed through reading. Now, knowing how long it takes someone to write the thing, I try to savor it more. 😀 But the more carefully I read, the more I see the “HUH?” things.

And there are some writing rules that are “correct” that jar me out of a story far more than too many LY words, like MAY vs MIGHT. Don’t even get me started. 😀